Urs Widmer

Urs Widmer has a diverse work experience in various industries. Urs is currently working at Graubündner Kantonalbank as the Head of Product Management since October 2021. Prior to this, they worked as a Lecturer at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts starting from 2018. Urs also served as a Senior Lecturer at ZHAW School of Management and Law from 2018 until July 2023.

Before starting their career in academia, Urs held leadership positions in the corporate world. Urs was the Chief Distribution Officer and Member of Executive Board at Dextra Rechtsschutz AG from January 2020 to August 2021. Urs also worked as a Senior Advisor and Associate Partner at Independent / Boydak Strategy Consulting between 2016 and 2019.

Urs gained extensive experience at SIX Swiss Exchange Ltd, where they served as the Head of Business & Market Development (COO) and Member of Management Committee from 2012 to 2016. Prior to this, they were the CEO of AXA Bank and a Member of the Executive Board of AXA Winterthur from 2007 to 2012.

Earlier in their career, Urs worked at UBS, where they held various roles such as Head of WP Life Insurance Sales and Head of Intermediaries Products & Services from 2001 to 2007. Urs started their professional journey as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company from 1996 to 2001.

Urs Widmer's education history includes a variety of degrees and certifications. Urs obtained their lic.oec.publ. degree in Economics from the University of Zurich, completing their studies from 1988 to 1994. Later, in 1998, they pursued an MBA degree in Business Administration at INSEAD.

Throughout their career, Widmer continued to enhance their education with various certifications. In 2011 to 2012, they earned a Diploma in Insurance Management from the University of St. Gallen. Subsequently, they enrolled in different Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs. In 2017, they completed the CAS in Chief Digital Officer at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, followed by the CAS in Big Data Analytics, Blockchain, and Distributed Ledger at ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences in 2018-2019.

Further expanding their knowledge, Widmer attended several executive education programs. In 2017, they participated in the Strategy in the Age of Digital Disruption program at INSEAD. Urs then completed the Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy program at MIT Sloan Executive Education in 2018, along with the Corporate Innovation: Strategies for Leveraging Ecosystems program in 2019.

Continuing their education in recent years, Widmer obtained two additional CAS degrees. In 2021, they completed the CAS in Digital Analytics in Marketing at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Lastly, in 2022, they acquired the CAS in Gesamtbanksteuerung from the same institution, further deepening their expertise.

These educational experiences demonstrate Widmer's commitment to ongoing professional development and their focus on business administration, digital analytics, innovation ecosystems, and various other areas of study.